Apparatus for treating flexible metal bodies



Feb. 24, 1931.

F. mp RsEY APPARATUS FOR TREATING FLEXIBLE METAL BODIES Filed Sept. 2, 1927 awuento'c 227, M

Patented Feb. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK M. DORSEY, OF SOUTH EUCLID, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO MADSENELL CORPORATION, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01 NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR TREATING FLEXIBLE METAL BODIES Application filed September 2, 1927. Serial No. 217,260.

.My present invention relates to apparatus for treating metallic bodies, particularly'relatively elongated and relatively flexiblemetallic bodies, such as wires, ribbons, strips particularly hydrogen as a result of the usual acid pickling operations, lubricants, grease.

and other impurities, and aims to devise ap-- paratus of the general character specified which is simple in construction, which is easy, convenient and economical to operate, and which enables the surface portions of such bodies to be efficiently and thoroughly cleaned and prepared for subsequent coating and other uses, especially for coating by electrolytic means. Other objects and advantages of the apparatus of the present invention will in part be pointed out in detail hereinafter and will in part be obviousto those skilled in the-art to which the present invention relates.

In the accompanying specification I shall describe, and in the annexed drawing show, an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. It is, however, to be clearly understood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodiment thereof herein shown anddescribed for purposes of illustration only. In connection with the foregoing illustrative embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, I shall describe one form apparatus. It is, however, to be clearly understood that such method forms no art of the present invention, being more ully described and being fully claimed in a copending application of mine filed of' even date herewith and entitled Methods of treating flexible metallic bodies. I

, Referring to the drawing, wherein I have illustrated the aforesaid illustrative embodlment of the present invention:

Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal section more or less diagrammatically illustrating said embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one form of metallic body, such as a wire, at one stage of method which may be practised in such of its manipulation in the embodiment of apparatus illustrated inFig. 1 of the drawe; a

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of such body at another stageof its manipulation;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of such body at still another stage of itsmanipulation; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of such body at still a further stage of its manipulation.

Before describing the aforesaid illustrative embodiment of the present invention in detail, it may be desirable briefly to point out certain disadvantages and shortcomings of the field to which the present invention belongs. In thisconnection, I shall describe the invention as applied more particularly to the treatment of wire, although similar considerations apply in using the apparatus of the present invention in connection with other flexible metallic bodies, such as strips, ribbons and the like. Hitherto, in the manufacture of wire, it has been customary, as is well known to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates, to start with 75 an ingot which is shaped into a rod which is j then drawn down to a wire with the use of a lubricant which often contains graphite or other solid lubricating material. In draw-v ing the rod down to the wire, the lubricant is worked into the surface of the wire and is also baked into the surface by the annealing treatments, to which the rod and wire are generally subjected to keep the same workable for the subsequent drawing operations.

As a result of these manipulations, by the time the rod has been worked down to a wire that their removal is a difficult matter. In

" fact, various types of apparatus and various types of chemical and mechanical treatments have hitherto been employed with only partial success for this purpose. The impurities are obviousl, undesirable since they often render the wire brittle and since they render thesubsequent coating liable to become readily separated, especially if the wire, as is often required, has to be bent in use.

' These disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art are readily overcome by means of the apparatus of the present invention. Referring to the drawing, wherein the aforesaid illustrative embodiment of the present invention is more or less diagrammatically illustrated, 10 indicates a metallic body, preferably relatively elongated, and preferably relatively flexible, such as a wire in the form of a coil of wire 11 wound up on the drum 12. The wire 10 may be made of steel, iron or other ferrous metal, which generally contains carbon and occluded gases at its surface, or may consist of wire made of copper, bronze or brass or other copper-containing metal which generally contains occluded hydrogen and other gases adjacent its surface, in addition to the graphite or other lubricant which hasbeen worked into the surface portions of the wire or other flexible metallic "body during the drawing or equivalent operations.

13 is a take-up drum, which takes up the treated Wire or the like. The drums 112 and 13 are preferably insulated from each other and from the wire 10, as by being made of insulated material or by having an outer layer or sheath of insulating material applied thereto. It may here be stated that the drums 12 and 13 may be actuated by any suitable mechanism, not here deemed neces sary to be shown, at a predetermined rate of speed, to permit the treating operation to be efficiently conducted.

20 indicates a container, which may be in the form of a vat, preferably one lined with lead or other material which will protect the vatfrom the cleaning means intended to be contained therein. 30 indicates means for flexing the wire or other metallic body a predetermined number of times, preferably in different or opposite directions and preferably about different flexing axes so as to more fully expose the impurities contained at surface portions of the wire or other flexible metallic body, in order to permit the cleaning operation to be more effectively carried out. Preferably the flexing means 30 comprises a plurality of flexing members 31.- I prefer that the'flexing members 31 shallbe arranged in two series generally designated by reference characters 32 and 33, respectively. The flexing members 31 preferably comprise rolls or rollers over which the wire may be readily passed in its travel from the unwinding drum 12 to the take-up drum 13, the diameter of the rollers 31 being preferably such as not to subject the wire 10 to too sharp a bend. In fact, thediameter of the drum 12 should besochosen as to flex tlie wirejust enough to open up enough of the surface portions of the wire adjacent the flexed portions" to permit the cleaning operation to be effectively conducted, and no more. 1 j

The wire 10 passes under the series 33 of rollers 31 and over the series 30 of such rollers. 21 indicates a bath of sulphuric acid preferably of a strength of more than about 55 Beaum, as of a strength of about 66 Beaum, preferably ordinary commercial concentrated sulphuric acid. The wire 10 preferably serves as an anode, for which purpose I connect the wire at the points 40 and 41 with the positive poles of a suitable source of direct current, at, for example, a voltage of about 12 volts, although voltages higher than that, as, for example, 20, or volts may be employed. The bath 21 is preferably maintained at a temperature of about 100 F. by any suitable means, such as a hot water coil 22. If the bath-shows a tendency to become overheated, cold water may be passed through the coil 22 in order to maintain the bath at the desired tempera ture. For cathodes, I may employ the strips. or plates 42 interposed between the folds or bends of the wire 10. These cathodes may be suitably connected to the negative pole of the source of current, not here deemed necessary to be shown, to the positive pole of which the portions of the wire 10 are connected adjacent the poles and 41.

I also provide means for turning the wire or other metallic body 10 so that during the flexing operation, the body Will be flexed about different axes so that all of the surrounding surface portions of the same will have their texture more or less opened up for the cleaning operation. The turning means, generally designated by reference character 50, may comprise a clamp having the handle 51 and being so arranged that the wire can be turned through any desired angle, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, so that the wire will not be subjected to too great a torsional force.

For example, and referring more particularly to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawing, the wire will be shown to have been divided into four quadrants designated 1,2, 3 and 4 respectively. The arrow in each case indicates that quadrant which is outermost when the wire is flexed and the surface portions of portions so exposed.

It may here be stated that the cathodes 42 may comprise sheets of iron or steel, or of lead, or of iron or steel coated with'lead.

It may here also be stated that the cathodes may be mounted and connected in any suitable manner. It may here further be stated that the level 21 of the electrolyte 21 in the vat 20 may be and preferably is maintained at of wire passin over t rollers '31 will e above the level of the elecassist the degasifying such a point'that the u per ends of the loops he upper series 32 of trolyte so that the upper turns of the wire will be successively exposed to the air to actlon.

" Insoperation, that portion of the wire 10 between the positive poles 40 and A1 acts as l 1 an anode, the strips 42, which are preferably -equidistantly-spaced between the,turns of pose. Other advantages and superiorities of the apparatus of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates.

What I claim as my invention is as follows Apparatus for treating a flexible elongated metal body, which comprises a container,

means associated with said container for suc-.

cessively flexing said body indifferent directions at predetermined surface portions of the same more fully to expose impurities present in said body at said surface portions and means for turning said body about an gxils at an angle to the axes of flexing'of said In testimony, whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 15th day of August, 1927. FRANK M. DORSEY.

tions ofwhich are therefore opened up so as to facilitate the cleaning operation.

The cleaning action is such as to remove'to a great extent, ifnotentirely occluded hydrogen and other gases, also carbon, lubricant and other impurities present adjacent the surface portions. 'of the treated body. The current density, which may be any desired amount but which is preferably from about 30 to about ,50 amperes per square foot of treated surface, is at a maximum adjacent the pole 40 and at a minimum the pole 41, being at a mean or average value adjacent the middle point of the wire 10. This current density will be found to attain a mean or average and substantially fixed value after the treatment is under way, substantially fixed for a particular speed of operation and for a particular type of wire, varyin for 'wire of different types and for di erent speeds of travel. As already stated, the voltage of the direct current employed may be about 12 volts, although direct current of I about 20, 25 or 30 voltsmay also be employed, the current being preferably direct current water, which may,

amount of ammonla or other alkallne subalthough a uni-directional, pulsating current may be employed instead.

' The treated wire may now be rinsed with if desired, contain a slight stance to neutralize the sulphuric acid used in the cleaning treatment. means, forming) tion, has not shown here.

This completes the description of the aforesaid illustrative embodiment of the apparatus tithe present invention. It will be noted that suchapparatus is simple in con struction,may be readily and economically The rinsing no part of the present inveneen deemed necessary to be fabricated and assembled, and is highly efficient in operation for the intended pur- 

